Simply Basics: Wind a Center Pull Ball

Ever wonder how people hand wind such neat looking center pull balls? I wanted to learn to make those perfect little parcels myself and tried doing it around my fingers, but just made a mess. I recently learned how to wind a center pull ball on a nostepinne – a tool originated in Sweden that makes the process a snap.

Nostepinne’s can be as simple and serviceable as a sanded dowel, or collectors items fashioned from beautifully turned exotic woods.

Start by securing yarn by wrapping several times around the center of the nostepinne, then wrap up toward the top in a counter clockwise direction.

Wrap about 5 or 6 times, each wrap below the former, keeping the wraps next to one another to form a base.

Next, wrap from bottom right to top left over the base wraps.

Continue wrapping in the same direction, while rotating the nostepinne to the right so that each new wrap is to the left of the last.

Continue wrapping new layers…

Notice that the direction of your current wrap always makes an x with the layer of wraps under it.

I love how nice and evenly the yarn pulls from the center.

All my handspun gets hand wound now, because truly – winding it is almost as satisfying as knitting it!

Comments

Oh my gosh, I wondered what a nostepinne was after seeing references on Ravelry. Now I know and cannot wait to try – I get so much satisfaction from winding a neat ball of yarn and am so glad that you feel the same.

Wow I can see why some of you get all big eyes …they are so beautiful and all that lovely wood….wow. I am amazed at the shipping cost too though. Going to see if drum sticks will do the trick too.
Perhaps some upcoming yarn and craft shows will carry them too.
Thanks for the great video on how to hand wind the yarn

I looked at the Chiagoo site but it costs a fair bit to send overseas so I was a bit put off but I found that I hade a ready-made nostepinne in my kitchen drawer, my porridge spurtle! It’s just a traditional stick for stirring porridge but this one was made from bagpipe wood with a thistle top and it tapers to the end. It is really excellent for porridge but now it winds wool too – genius. So if you can’t find a nostepinne in the UK try a porridge spurtle from Scotland : )